Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident

Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy is a TV dramatization of the notorious Cold War incident of 1960. The story is told from the point of view of Powers (Lee Majors), an American pilot who was shot down over Russia while taking photographs on behalf of the CIA. The event occurs just before a crucial summit meeting between American President Dwight D. Eisenhower (James Flavin) and Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev (Thayer David). Eisenhower tries to cover up the incident, allowing Khrushchev to make propagandistic hay of the whole affair. Robert E. Thompson's teleplay tends to depict the Americans as jerks, and the Russians as essentially good guys; even Powers' Soviet interrogator, portrayed by Nehemiah Persoff, comes off comparatively sympathetic. Also in the cast are Noah Beery as Powers' father and Lew Ayres as Allen Dulles. Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy was originally telecast September 29, 1976.